HEALDTON, Okla. (KTEN) — Healdton residents could be paying more for utilities in the near future after the city received less revenue than expected in the last fiscal year.

"We're just looking at tightening up our budget," said Healdton City Manager Gus Handke. "A budget had been passed that was not as fiscally responsible as it should have been. We're just going to correct those things moving forward."

Regardless of this error, Handke believes this rate hike is long overdue.

"We haven't done a good job over the years of increasing our rates with the changing times, rising costs, inflation — all those things.” Handke explained. “We haven't had a significant rate increase in a number of years."

Handke already has some ideas about how to combat this budget mistake.

"We need to look at raising some rates to increase revenue, and then just be a little more wiser about expenditures and where we're spending our money," he said.

The city is considering a 3.5 percent increase for city utilities.

"I think that the city has a duty to first take care of the infrastructure of the town; however, they have a bigger responsibility to control expenses,” said Healdton resident Joe Cafferata. “Does a little town like this need four gas stations? Probably not."

City officials plan to discuss this increase in the near future, with goals of implementing the increase by the next fiscal year.